The organisations who represent those sectors should definitely make that case, happy to help them do that.

Things Can Only Get Better Somewhere between an empty bottle of Blue Curaçao and the eleventh Venues Day, something small but extraordinary has happened to grassroots live music.

Eleven venues days, one very surprised boat captain, and this year, for the first time, a room full of venue operators who left making plans instead of just holding on.
Wrote about it. Link below, subscribe if you want the next one in your inbox.
markdavyd.substack.com/p/things-can...

Party Fears Two Arts Council England has just proven, with receipts, that cultural tax relief works. You'll never guess who didn't get an invitation.

Arts Council England just proved, with receipts, that cultural tax relief works.

Theatres get it. Orchestras get it. Museums get it.

Grassroots music venues do not.

The same review recommends they should. Page 67.

New piece: markdavyd.substack.com/p/party-fears-two

Please do subscribe

Sam Fender donates £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to Music Venue Trust Sam Fender has donated his Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust, while highlighting the importance of "struggling" UK gig spaces.

www.nme.com/news/music/s...

The Power is Yours How cutting venue energy bills secures jobs, supports artists, and strengthens the circuit

In this week's Substack I get into what the Grassroots Levy can actually do to reduce costs, unlock investment and deliver affordable touring in a Grassroots Sector that works for everyone.

This week's piece is here: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-power-...

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Just listened to yesterday’s show & natural/unnatural deaths. You need to add live music venues being destroyed by planning laws. i think you’d find a chat with @markdavyd.bsky.social at @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social v interesting & he’d be a great guest. There’s lots happening

This week in my Substack I am celebrating (yes I honestly am!) the fantastic week of music the UK is experiencing.

markdavyd.substack.com/p/good-news-...

UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan is the most comprehensive attempt yet to think about how music fits into the future shape of the British economy. It provides us with a serious platform to work with
Read the full article at my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-quiet-...

Read my latest Substack: lnkd.in/dbvN2427

There's a whole world movement going on that I didn't know about and it's a radical opportunity not just for music, but for culture, sports, all the community facilities we all care deeply about but are at risk.

‘What you can’t do is give up the benefits of Brexit’ - Richard Tice, Reform.

I have news Dickie-baby.

Read my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/access-den...

Why are grassroots music venues treated differently to theatres, arts centres, cinemas when it comes to licensing and access for young people? More than that… why are they treated differently to arenas and stadiums?

Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant calls on Live Nation to 'step up' on grassroots levy The CMS Committee of MPs held a session on the progress made in supporting grassroots venues. Read on for the latest on the voluntary levy on arenas and stadiums with insights from Sir Chris Bryant, M...

www.musicweek.com/live/read/cr...

Read my latest Substack. Positive change is achievable, dont let them convince you otherwise. markdavyd.substack.com/p/take-back-...

Culture is not a luxury — it’s an engine for economic recovery.

In my latest Substack piece, I propose how funding local arts and venues can drive real economic change from the ground up.

Read “Trickle-Up Economics” now on Substack.

open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cm...

What can members of the public do? Write to your MP asking why the government has not acted on Agent if Change, Business Rates, Fan Led Review, VAT, or distribution of public funding, all recommendations in that report.

Trickle-Up Economics We Gave Tax Relief to Batman. How About a Lighting Engineer from Hull?

We give tax reliefs to Batman. What about a sound engineer in Hull?

My latest Substack lays out a joint performing arts proposal for a tax relief called PACSTR which would promote local careers in the creative industries.

Read: open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

My answer: Multiple factors piling up rather than one, easy to understand, immediately resolvable problem. Everything from hotel prices to business rate relief, no coherent approach to any of it which addresses the needs of live music.

Which is painful when the solutions are well known.

Here’s a chart for you.

Latest Substack from me, with some thoughts on the Music Fans' Voice.
The main thing that comes across is how well informed fans are and how much they care. The fans’ voice has been ignored for too long.

Read more: markdavyd.substack.com/p/the-beatin...

Sorry not to reply to your email, I was in a cave.

“Please don’t respect the peace and quiet of our neighbours; they don’t respect our town’s culture”

I just subscribed. I’d encourage other fans of up & coming bands to help support grassroots venues to continue 👍

Become part of the @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social Supporters Circle!

bit.ly/MVTsupporters

Mumford & Sons to donate £1 from every ticket sold on UK tour to Live Trust’s grassroots venues fund Mumford & Sons have announced that they will be donating money from ticket sales to help support grassroots music venues across the UK.

Massive thank you to Mumford and Sons, their management team (especially Izzy), their agency WME, the promoters SJM, Live Nation, and the arenas on this tour for their support for the LIVE Trust.

www.nme.com/news/music/m...

Excellent to see a new organisation emerge in Australia to support Grassroots Music Venues. Give them a follow here: @ausmusicvf.bsky.social

The internet is furious at Spotify - and not because of royalties this time One user wrote: "Spotify really is the Twitter of music platforms. Disgusting."

Over 60k have signed a petition started by sex trafficking expert Renee Chopping, who spoke to me in this week's newsletter.

Which also features @eamonn-forde.bsky.social, @markdavyd.bsky.social, @kattenbarge.bsky.social, @taylorlorenz.bsky.social, @cmuhq.bsky.social, @kaburbank.bsky.social & more

Following BRITs winners' grassroots venues warning, FAC says momentum is building on touring crisis Here, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) board writes for Music Week about the organisation’s role in distributing money raised from an arena & stadium levy and supporting artists amid the “cost of ...

Posted without comment

www.musicweek.com/live/read/fo...

A new Substack from me...

open.substack.com/pub/markdavy...

Juxtaposition!

A Lifeline for Indie Venues: Can a New Tax on Arena and Stadium Concert Tickets Save the U.K.’s Grassroots Circuit? With U.K. independent music venues closing at an alarming rate, a new steers £1 from each arena and stadium concert ticket to indies. Can it work?

A sad day to recommend a comprehensive article that’s a thoroughly good read about the opportunity presented by the grassroots levy. It sits as a difficult reminder that the solution exists but will come too late for some venues. Excellent piece from Mark Sutherland

variety.com/2025/music/g...